Press release

Mon, Mar 18th 2013 03:00 pm

A team of employees from Niagara Falls State Park has
received one of the agency's highest honors: the L.L. Huttleston Special
Achievement Award for 2012. The Niagara Falls team was recognized for
outstanding effort in implementing the Nik Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls
in June.

The award was presented by New York State Office of
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Rose Harvey to the
following State Parks employees: Raymond Goll of Nunda, general park manager;
Ronald Peters of Youngstown, deputy general manager; Angela Berti of the Town
of Tonawanda, public affairs and marketing coordinator; and David Page, also
from Nunda, State Park Police major. Page accepted the award on behalf of the
team at a ceremony in Albany on March 4.

"This extraordinary team of professionals planned and
executed the highly successful implementation of the Wallenda Walk with just
eight weeks of intensive preparation time. The team seamlessly coordinated with
multiple state, federal and international agencies and managed every detail
that ensured an extremely smooth, memorable and positive event. Indeed, this
team's efforts showed off Niagara Falls State Park in the most positive light
for the entire world to see," Commissioner Harvey said.

Introduced in 1969 by State Council of Parks Chairman
Laurance Rockefeller, the L.L. Huttleston awards recognize outstanding service
to the New York State Park system.

•Lockport's Sam Mattina, an electrician with State Parks,
received a L. Huttleston Special Achievement Award for 2012 for his outstanding
efforts and leadership in the field of renewable energy.

"Sam's commitment to clean, renewable energy has put
State Parks at the forefront of renewable energy programs statewide," Harvey
said when presenting the award. "He led the team that installed the first
in-house state park solar installation of the roof of the Discovery Center in
Niagara Fall State Park, and his research on and installation of new LED
lighting and sensors in the parking lot of the Discovery Center cut energy use
per pole there by nearly 70 percent. Sam's commitment and leadership has set
the standard for both renewable energy generation and reduction of energy
reduction consumption throughout the state park system."